Theresa’s presentation is an arresting combination of evidence-based research, quick humor, and practical know-how. The four pillars of her research aren’t just a gimmick—they’re real, powerful tools for making our most important work not just fun, but our best work.

— Vice President, University of Minnesota Foundation

Theresa Glomb is a speaker and researcher with a mission to improve the lives of workers.

Many of us have focused on getting a good job. But how many of us have focused on making a job good?

So often at work, we bumble through our days in unintentional ways.

What could happen if we were more intentional and recognized the power we have to improve our work lives?

speaking

University of Minnesota Professor Theresa Glomb is trying to help others create positive experiences at work through growth, happiness, and satisfaction. Ultimately, Theresa is trying to make work great (or at least a little better).

I am an organizational psychologist and for over two decades my valued colleagues and I have been studying workers and their experiences at work. My research has taken me to the night shift in manufacturing plants where conditions are hot, loud, and dangerous, to call centers where workers hear from irate customers, to an underground hydropower plant where workers don’t see the sun all day, to health care clinics and nursing homes where workers bear the brunt of their patients’ pain and fear. And through this work, I see that individual workers have tremendous power over their work lives to craft work experiences that are more positive. That’s why my research investigates things that can make us happier and improve our well-being at work.

So often at work, we bumble through our days in unintentional ways. Let’s be more intentional and recognize the power we have to improve our work lives. You can focus on getting a good job, but you can also focus on making a job good. My colleagues and I study small, practical disciplines, or micro-interventions, that help us to meaningfully connect with our work tasks and connect with others to truly understand the impact of our work. By taking the time to pause, reflect and connect, we can bring more meaning to our work lives.

And for me, it’s not just a research endeavor—I try hard to integrate these practices into my work life. In fact, the themes from my research have kind of become a family motto that serves as a daily reminder for me about how to be more intentional in life and work: